


Spicy Rabbit Curry

by Dylan_Black, MeirhaBlack



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, DCU, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel, Various Others - Fandom
Genre: Adult Adoption depot, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:04:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4236576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dylan_Black/pseuds/Dylan_Black, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeirhaBlack/pseuds/MeirhaBlack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It turns out that I've gotten a bunch of ideas that just aren't safe for work...or a teen rating. Rated explicit just to be on the safe side and again all up for adoption.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Maidens Three

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. JKR owns Harry Potter. Disney owns Marvel. AOL Time Warner owns DC. Joss Wheedon Owns Buffy and the undead pedophile. Stephenie Meyer own Bella Swan and the other undead pedophile along with all their undead and wolfie friends. Other Disclaimers will note other owners as needed. This is done without permission and no monies are being made. Please no sue.

Note: This was a Harem rewrite idea that in the end just didn't pan out for me. My options were just write out what I had in my head or go stir crazy dealing with a month of writer's block.

(Prelude)

Sirius held his cousin down as he began to choke the life out of her. “Who is it, you psychotic bitch! Who’s the traitor in the order!”

Bellatrix LeStrange cackled madly as her throat began to close. “It will do you no good,” She choked. “Your boy is going to die tonight.”

His hands loosened. They knew. The secret was out. The one thing that not even Dumbledore could know. Not even Peter. He looked at his cousin in her half mad eyes. “There is more than one traitor,” He whispered. “Not just in the order, but in the Marauders to boot.”

She grinned wildly at him. “Now my goody goody cousin gets it. The Secret Keeper and the False Sire are to give your bastard over tonight.”

Without thinking, Sirius let go of Bellatrix and Aparated to Godric’s Hollow. He arrived just before the traitors. “Lily!” he shouted. “It’s Voldemort! Take Harry and run!”

The door slammed open, revealing Voldemort bookended by Peter and another she had not expected to see. “James!” She called out as her heart broke. 

James lifted up his wand with a snarl, but Sirius was faster and sent his former friend to an early grave. “Lily, take Harry and go!”

Peter threw a hex at Sirius’ head that he was barely able to dodge. He tried to get to Lily and protect her from the great dark git, but Peter kept casting hexes. Just as he had gotten around Peter, he saw a flash of green and heard Lily scream. He ran to the door and flung it open just as the second green flash happened “No!” he screamed just before the flash rebounded on its caster sending the dark wizard to hell. 

He stood there in shock as little Harry seemed to glow. It took a moment before he realized that the glow had the all too familiar form of his one love.

“Lily?” he rasped. “How?”

The form looked at him and smiled sadly. “Ancient magics, my Lord Black. There is little time. I fear that Voldemort is not truly gone forever and will return. You must know the full prophecy …”

(2)

Harry fell into a heap on his bed at number four and began to cry. Sirius was gone. He was gone and it was all Harry’s fault. If only he hadn’t gone to the Ministry, Sirius might still be alive today. It was like Cedric all over again, only this time it had been someone Harry not only knew but loved. Who would it be next time? One of the Weasleys ? Remus? Hermione?

“Sorry about this Harry,” He had barely enough time to register the voice before the stunner hit him.

When he was finally able to drag himself out of the darkness, he found himself in a dark room that appeared to be made from masonry blocks. He tried to look around but couldn’t make out any features. Suddenly, a hand pulled his head back and a bottle was forced between his lips. 

As he began to sputter and try to force the potion out of his mouth, another hand began massaging his throat to make him swallow. The vile concoction made him vomit almost as soon as they were done. Then the shaking began, quickly followed by wracking pain and noises. It vaguely sounded like someone shouting in agony. His mind soon succumbed to darkness but not before he faintly heard, “Don’t worry Harry. It’ll all be over soon.”

When he woke again, Harry found himself nude and strapped to a cot and being massaged with oil by three women. All he could make out of their features were their bodies as their faces were covered by masks and the robes that constituted their only other covering were left open to show their nude form. Harry swallowed and tried to speak only to find nothing coming from his mouth. He slightly panicked until he heard a soft, familiar voice whisper, “Relax Harry, you’re safe.”

He watched as the women finished and tried to memorize each masked face and their accompanying robe. The woman on his left wore a green robe and wore a mask that resembled the bloom of an Iris. Strapped about her waist was a loose belt made of galleons. The woman on his right was dressed in a deep blue and wore a mask that bore a strong resemblance to the goblet of fire; a very long string of pearls hung loosely from her neck and drew his attention down towards where her body met her legs. He forced himself to look at the third one, who seemed to be the oddest of all. Her mask was a mirrored disk and her robes were white. The only other adornment she wore was a dagger strapped to her thigh.

Harry also noted that while the first two were massaging his chest and arms and staying relatively stationary, The third that was on his legs was beginning to progress further up his body. Furthermore, parts of his body were seriously beginning to respond to the attention. When the particular part of his anatomy was reached by the young woman, instead of continuing to massage up she turned her full attention to the piece of anatomy in question.

Harry let out a groan of pleasure, or would have if he had been able to make a noise. He then heard something that sounded similar to what Seamus would use when he was really upset and didn’t want to lose house points. He then heard two accompanying voices join in and it soon sounded like a hushed conversation that was only half heard. He felt the weight of the white robed woman shift and leave him for a moment. He looked back down at her and saw that she had lifted herself up on her knees and seemed to be positioning herself over his groin. He let his eyes travel up her body to her breasts and that’s when he saw the faint line of a scar running across her chest.

Just as he was realizing who this had to be his brain went blank due to a feeling the likes of which he had never imagined. While fixated on her scar, Harry had missed the fact that she was slowly lowering herself down in time with her words until she had taken him completely inside her. She then began to rock her hips, undulating in time with the maddeningly slow rhythm of the chant until Harry was absolutely certain that it was entirely possible to die from pleasure overload and he was very close to that point. He felt himself begin to tighten even more and his scrotum pull in close to his body. He was sure he would either explode or stop functioning all together any minute when the most powerful orgasm he’d ever had rocked his body. His hips seemed to buck of their own accord and when he didn’t think he could take any more, he felt the woman on top of him constrict around him, drawing his orgasm out even longer.

When she had apparently finished with him, she lifted herself off his quickly softening member and began cleaning him with a warm cloth. The other two women had never stopped their ministrations and continued on while circling his body to change positions. The same scene repeated itself twice more with blue cloaked woman and then the green. Harry found it amazing that, even though by all accounts he should be exhausted after the first, he didn’t drift off or even begin to feel drowsy until after the third had dismounted and began cleaning him. As once again darkness claimed his mind he wondered, What the bloody hell is going on? And how do I make it happen every night?  
When Harry woke again, he found himself in a large, rather comfortable bed. As he tried to take stock of his surroundings without letting on that he was awake, he heard two voices. One he instantly recognized as Hermione while the other he was sure he’d heard before, but just couldn’t place.

“How do we know it worked?” the unknown voice asked. “Oh, we should have used the Minoan version. It was much more straight forward.”

“That’s true,” Hermione countered, “but not as strong as the Gaelic and I’m fairly certain that it worked just like it was supposed to.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because right now, Daphne,” Hermione began in a lower, throatier voice, “I want to spread you out across the top of the piano and finger you until you cum while Harry watches.”

There was a beat of silence before Daphne answered. “You too? I thought it was just my latent lesbian coming out again.”

“Ok, ladies, now that that is settled,” Harry was surprised to hear Tonks’ voice next, “we need to move on to the next part of the ritual. And since I just heard Harry wake up, now seems as good a time as any.”

Harry peeked out from the top of the covers. “Um, does anyone know where my wand is? I think I need to clean up a bit.”

Tonks smirked. “No magic from you, Harry. We’ll take care of that for you.” She approached the bed holding a large, ornate chalice filled with a golden liquid and took a seat on the left side of him. She offered the chalice to him, indicating he should take a drink and when he did, it was like liquid warmth sliding down his throat. He handed the cup back to her and she drank as well, then passed it to Daphne who had taken a seat on the bed between Harry’s legs.

When Daphne offered him the cup, he looked back at Tonks, puzzled. “Are you trying to get me drunk? I assure you, it’s not necessary.”

“Just drink, Harry,” Tonks directed.

Harry cautiously took the cup and brought it back to his lips, taking another sip. Daphne mimicked Tonks’ moves and then it was Hermione offering him the cup. As he took it from her, he looked around at all of them. “Could someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“One last drink,” Tonks assured him. “As soon as we’ve finished the ritual, we’ll explain everything.”

Harry took a final sip and handed the chalice back to Hermione. She drained the cup before turning to Daphne. “The rite is done. Now you can set the final rune arrays.”

Daphne grinned, pulling the sheets down to expose more of Harry’s chest. She pushed him back down on the pillows, straddled his lap and held her hand out to Tonks. Tonks pulled out a small knife and before Harry could protest that he really wasn’t into scarification, she cut Daphne’s palm. Daphne then held her hand over the chalice and let a few drops fall into the bottom of the cup. Hermione held her hand out for the cut, and then Tonks, each letting a few drops of blood fall into the cup to mix together. Daphne reached up to pull the stick that was holding her hair up out and Harry saw that it was actually a paint brush. She dipped the tip of the brush into the blood in the chalice and drew it across Harry’s skin. The brush was soft and the motions sort of soothing, but it seemed like she was writing a book on his chest. When Harry felt like he couldn’t keep still any longer, she made one final stroke, punctuated with a satisfied “Done.”

Daphne then reached out and took Hermione and Tonks’ hands, who each took one of Harry’s. They again began chanting in what he now knew was Gaelic and he started to feel a warm sensation on his chest. He looked down to see Daphne’s handy work flaring to life and then seep into his chest. As the girls finished their chanting, three words caught his attention. Eiru, Skya, and Adora.

Hermione smiled. “Finally, the rite is finished.”

Tonks grinned. “Does that mean we can get out of these robes and snuggle in with our husband?”

Harry blinked. “Wait, wha-what?”

“Aw,” Daphne cooed. “He’s so cute when he’s petrified with fear.”

“What’s this about a husband?” Harry asked, looking back and forth among them. “And why wasn’t I given a choice?”

Hermione sighed as she slipped off her robe. “Well, Harry, the only way we could make sure that the bindings that Dumbledore and others had put on you were gone was to use a very powerful cleansing ritual. It just so happens that it’s also a binding ritual of sorts.”

Harry looked confused. “Wait. You took bindings off of me by putting more bindings on me?”

“No!” Hermione gasped. “No, no, no. We bound ourselves to you. We’re sort of your cup bearers.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “And just what does a cup bearer do?”

Tonks giggled nervously. “Oh you know, Harry, the usual. Fill your glass, get your meal, warm your bed.”

Harry blinked. “How would you warm…hang on, are you saying I just married all three of you?”

“More like we married you,” Daphne offered.

“And what brought all this about?”

“In a word?” Hermione asked cautiously. “Snuffles.”

“Padfoot arranged this?” Harry asked softly.

Tonks and Daphne took off their robes and all three women started climbing under the covers. “I promise we’ll explain it all in the morning, Harry,” Hermione whispered. “Right now, we just need to rest.”

(3)

Harry woke the next morning to Hermione still snuggled against him on his right side. Pleasant surprise gave way to memories from the previous day and he was soon nudging the witch awake. “Hey,” he murmured. “You promised me answers.”

Hermione cracked an eye open. “Can’t I just give you a blow job?”

Harry blinked. “Well sure, but I still want answers.”

Harry felt Hermione’s hand graze a certain part of his anatomy and let out a groan. “How do you want my lips first?” Hermione purred. “Wrapping themselves around words or wrapping around something else?”

Harry knew he should be demanding answers. He also knew Hermione was doing this just as a delaying tactic, but as delaying tactics go, he had to admit it was one of his favorites. “Um…”

Before Harry could answer he heard the door open and looked up to see Tonks and Daphne walk in carrying trays of food and juice. “Just let her go and enjoy it, Harry,” Tonks advised. “When you’re finished we’ll all answer your questions over breakfast.”

Hermione took that as her cue and slipped under the blankets. Harry’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he felt her lips wrap around his swelling appendage. He quickly found his moan muffled by another pair of lips kissing him hungrily. He wasn’t sure who it was and, at that particular time, he really didn’t care. He wasn’t sure how long the combination of oral sex and eager make-out session lasted but he was acutely aware of how it ended. His body wracked in a convulsion somewhere between pleasure and pain and he cried out into the mouth of his make-out partner.

As Hermione let him go, Harry collapsed back on the bed and looked up to see Daphne looking down at him and brushing her hand through his hair. “Ow,” He whimpered. “I think I need some food and a lot of rest before we do anything like that again. “

Tonks giggled and set the tray down before him. It was then that he realized that both Tonks and Daphne were nude. “Eat up,” She murmured before stealing a kiss. “We have a lot to go through and the Will Reading is in less than a week.” 

Harry looked at the tray filled with fruit, rolls, dried sausage and porridge then back to Tonks. “What? No bacon or kippers?”

Tonks snorted. “Like I’m going to risk burning myself. Just tuck in and we’ll get to Siri’s letter in a second.” She then turned and gave Hermione a quick kiss and whispered something in her ear. Hermione nodded then headed into the next room.

Tonks turned back to Harry. “Now, I know this is a lot to take in, but Siri had us kidnap you and bring you on the Black’s Revenge.” 

Harry nodded as he bit into a strawberry. “I got that from Hermione last night, but why? And what was with the potion that I was force fed and the sex ritual? And the blood runes? And why even though what we just did hurt like hell, I want more of it?”

Tonks picked up a piece of melon and sucked on it, getting Harry’s complete attention before continuing. “Well, the easy ones first. The potion was to get rid of the other potions that Molly has been dosing you with for the last two years. The ritual was a rather ornate cleansing ritual that also creates a marriage bond. We tried to find another way, but Siri was certain that there were some really powerful bonds placed on you. Hermione confirmed it on the train. As for the runes, It’s just a little extra preventative measure to make sure no one ever puts you under that kind of mess again.”

“And I’d like to go on the record as to how much I hate Elvish runes,” Daphne added. “You owe me a good long slow grinding for that.”

“He owes that to all of us,” chirped Hermione as she came back in carrying the letter. “I mean having to consciously rock your hips in a clockwise motion and holding back until the man comes first when nature dictates that it’s usually the other way around? Not to mention not being able to practice at all due to the requirements of the rite.”

Tonks sighed and took the letter from Hermione. “You two are being awfully whiny. Do you need to have some play time while I stay with Harry as he reads the letter?”

Hermione sighed and sat opposite Daphne on Harry’s right side. “We’ll be good Nym,” She responded. “Besides, Harry’s going to need all of us here.”

Tonks nodded in agreement then handed the letter to Harry. “Here you go,” She whispered. “This will answer some of your questions.

Harry took the letter and broke the seal before reading.

Dear Pup,

I know this is all a bit confusing and you are probably wondering why I had you kidnapped by these three ladies and hidden away in international waters, but I have to go through all of this in order. Just please be patient with me as it is a lot to cover in far too little time. First, since the only reason that you would be reading this is that my death has indeed occurred before I could tell you this stuff in person. Do not blame yourself. I knew I was going to die. Some would like to claim that I saw the Grimm or some silliness like that, but the simple fact is that all Blacks instinctively know when their time is up and we try to go out in as flashy a way possible rather than simply peacefully in our beds. If I went out fighting and protecting you pup, then it was all worth it. Also, Hermione owes me three sickles. 

Second, there is something I have needed to tell you since we first met, but never had the courage until now. It shames me to say this but there was only one Marauder that didn’t betray his brothers. You know of Peter’s betrayal, but the other two were far deeper and more hurtful and if Moony ever found this out he’d likely have turned from both mine and James’ memory. Sadly my betrayal must come out for you to survive and at my will reading the world will know what I am about to tell you. I betrayed my brother in all but blood by having an affair with his wife and he repaid me by trying to turn our son over to the self-proclaimed dark lord Tom Marvolo Riddle aka He-Who-Is-Insane.

That’s right Harry, I’m you dad. It was all a mess. I had been in love with her for years, but stepped aside for James. I think Remus did the same. Not that she’d have put up with me back then. I was a right bastard and was really full of myself. Remus and I both thought James was the better choice for her just proving what royal pricks we were at the time. Of course we didn’t know that the Potter defection to the light during the first war was a sham and that the family was looking for a way to get close to the beacon of the light and end him. Looking back, I honestly think that Remus was the most noble of us. 

Of course two weeks after James and Lily married, I found her at my flat. She and James had a terrible fight and he lost his temper. She was sporting a shiner and eyes red from crying. I almost went to kill my supposed best friend and your mum was all that stopped me. I was somewhat handy at healing magic, nowhere near as good as Remus but still good enough to make a punch disappear. After I healed her, we talked a bit about what had happened and she revealed that they had fought before. When I asked her why she hadn’t told us before, her response was the expected. We hadn’t asked. When I asked her why she had agreed to marry him, the response was completely out of the blue and knocked the wind out of me. I hadn’t asked.

I won’t go into details, but that was likely the night you were conceived. We continued to sneak around and try to come up with some way to be together. Then she found out that she was pregnant only two months later. That was how James found out. Seemed he’d failed to mention when they were engaged that he was shooting blanks. He called her a whore and I pummeled him. My anger was always too close to the surface. Guess you know where you get that less than adorable trait from now, huh pup. 

Of course, Remus and Peter came in when we were in the middle of the fight. Lily covered for both of us, telling them some crap about me being mad that James was going to name Remus the godfather because I wasn’t responsible. Remus automatically insisted that I be the godfather of course as I was James’ best friend and his furry problem. I think Peter suspected the truth at least. After they left, I reminded James of a little known law that would bankrupt his family and make Lily a wealthy woman all because he hadn’t told her he couldn’t have children. He agreed to play the “happy husband” until after the war and then a quiet divorce once everything was over. Thinking back on it, I’d wager that he was just expecting us both to be dead and to play the poor victim to get even closer to Albus. 

That’s also the real reason I wasn’t the true secret keeper; James said he couldn’t trust me. How could I have told Moony the truth? I wasn’t the secret keeper because I was in love with my best Friend’s wife and she had given birth to our son. It would have destroyed him. He never wanted to see us for all our flaws. We were his first true friends and he is more loyal than any Hufflepuff. 

I know this is all a bombshell, but I’m afraid it gets worse. If you haven’t heard by now, you should know that you are under a prophecy. If the great purple poofter has actually told you about it, then the one he told you was likely the false one he cooked up. Your mum was able to find the true one and what he changed makes all the difference in the world. 

“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to an ancient House, Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. He shall thwart the darkness from the moment of his birth and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. The power of love Three-fold given and received. Both Shadow and Light will seek to claim him and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. One shall arise to bring rebirth to the world or watch if all should fall to rage.”

I imagine that it’s quite a bit different than the one you received. My thought is that he edited it so that the one he thought would be the true champion would be protected. See, though House Potter is old and often made claims at being an Ancient and Noble House like so many others, really not so much. They were formed when Augustus Peverelle disowned his youngest son Julian for taking gross liberties with a servant. Julian retaliated by burning down Peverelle Manor with his parents inside. Quite a lovely family, and it only got worse from there.

The Blacks however, go back before the time of Arthur. I should know. I had to memorize the family histories as the future Head of House. Fortunately for you I’m not going to make you do that. Mainly because I can’t. Mainly because I’m dead. The sad fact of all this is that it still could have been your friend Neville Longbottom, at least until that damn tournament. Unfortunately, when he used you to come back from the grave, that’s when he marked you as his equal.

I can tell you, pup, that’s the scariest moment I have ever faced. No parent should ever have to think of their kid having to face evil like that. So I figured, if my boy was going to have to get stuck with this prophecy, I was going to do everything in my power to make damn sure he got through it alive. That’s when I gathered the three angels that rescued you from that hell hole. I have to say Hermione was the easiest to convince about my little mutiny. Tripsey came along later, but was just as easy to convince. As for Daphne, that’s where things got a little strange, even for me. Over time, and many business deals, the Greengrass family ended up owing the Black family several debts. Some were financial in nature and others were…not. I had gone to Daphne’s father to forgive those debts before I died, but Daphne beat me to the punch. She overheard a conversation I was having with her father about my plans for what just happened to you and she volunteered to be the third.

So, now you’re probably wondering what’s in store for your future. Well, as Hermione’s probably already had to explain, you’re hitched to three birds. It was likely the only way that all the bindings that the great gay guardian of the light had put on you “for the greater good” could be removed. The upshot to this is that you’re going to be a lot stronger. I mean a lot stronger. As in I was in the 97th percentile and your mother could kick my ass kind of stronger. In short, you were born from two of the most powerful young wizards of the time. I’d say you could probably have taken Grindenwald in his prime.

The downside, you might be a little…distracted. See, the spell wasn’t just a cleansing, but also a binding, of the marriage variety. And like most marriage bindings, it’s meant to ensure that there will be an heir by making you want to shag. All the time. Even when it’s not necessarily appropriate. The good news is that this will wear off eventually. The bad news is, not until after you’ve knocked up all three of your wives. I never thought I would say this, pup, but I recommend you not use condoms. 

I know this is a lot to deal with, pup, and I wish you didn’t have to, but at least you don’t have to do it alone now. These girls will always be there for you, no matter what. Now, go kick Riddle’s arse and I don’t want to see you until you’re old and grey and I have a million great-grand kids.

I love you, my pup.

Padfoot

(a.k.a. Sirius O. Black, the original S.O. B.)

 

(5)

I, Sirius Black, being of sound mind (Shut up Moony, you too pup) and body do declare this my last will and testament, hereby nullifying all previous wills. I begin this with a statement made under veritaserum and authenticated by an oath that was witnessed by three individuals whose honor is beyond repute: Clan Chief Ragnok of Gringotts, Curse Breaker William Weasley, and Auror Nymphadora Tonks. 

I was not the Secret Keeper of the Potters location on the night of October 31st. That would be one Peter Pettigrew who is still alive and in service to his dark master. I do confess to being the one to kill James Potter in defense of Lily Potter nee Evans, the mother of our son Harry. I also do hereby confess that I had an affair with Lily that started two weeks after her marriage to James and that Harry James Potter was the product of that union. James was sterile and an agreement was made that after the war there would be a quiet divorce so Lily and I could wed and in truth be husband and wife. It was an agreement I am now certain that James Potter never intended to keep. 

James Potter was the second traitor on the night of October 31st, or rather a loyal agent to the followers of the dark. The Potter family had never turned from their loyalties and had only appeared to do so in an attempt to get closer to Albus Dumbledore and assassinate him. My only regret has been that I had not been there quicker so that Lily may have survived.

Now that the statement is out of the way, I hereby claim Harry James Potter as my blood and heir. May Harry Regulus Black have a long and prosperous life as my heir and produce a strong line to rebuild the house of Black. I also hereby disown Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black and Narcissa Malfoy nee Black. All dowries are to be returned to the House of Black within a fortnight with interest. If they are present, they may leave the hearing as they are no longer of the house of Black and have no bequests waiting for them later.   
As to my bequests, I ask that you leave once you have been the recipient of my generosity. The only exceptions to this are as follows: Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. I would add Harry Regulus Black, but seeing as he is last on the list it would be rather redundant.

Let us start with the least pleasant and work our way up as it were. To the sickening piece of filth that seems to love torturing my son, Severus Snape, I leave Kreacher bound to you for the duration of your life and a very dull knife. When you finally tire of the sniveling little toe rag’s devotion to things even you will find foul, I suggest you use the knife to dig for a vein. I also leave you these final words: Rot in Hell you miserable piece of shit.

To his equally unpleasant and obnoxious godson, Draco Malfoy, I leave notice that all Malfoy Debts have been purchased by the house of Black and are due immediately upon the completion of this will reading. I also leave you a dildo, so you can go fuck yourself.

To the misguided and likely senile headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, I leave Number 12 Grimmauld Place and this warning: Harry knows the whole Prophecy and what you have done.

To the man, woman or child who brings Peter Pettigrew to justice for his crimes, I leave 10,000 galleons a year for the rest of his or her life.

To the woman who has tried to be a mother to Harry, if you call being more manipulative than Hera motherly, Molly Weasley, I leave a brand new set of matching luggage.

To the man who has been the father I could not be, Arthur Weasley, I leave evidence of your wife’s attempted poisonings of my son and many illicit dealings with Albus Dumbledore. I also leave 100,000 Galleons, an immediate cleansing to remove any charms or potions she may have you under and free use of the Black family lawyer. I recommend you use him to get a divorce and finally go after the real woman of your heart. I mean really, there’s a reason she never remarried.

To the Ministry of Magic, I leave the location of every Girl Guide troop in London seeing as even though you were looking for me for three years, they were able to track me down every time biscuit sales came around. I mean come on people! {{Found out this was no good as Girl Guides don't do cookie sales}}

To my son’s supposed best friend who aided his mother’s attempted poisonings of my son and also betrayed his trust to one Albus Dumbledore, Ron Weasley, I leave a crystal ball. I know you don’t believe in the future which is good as you have none, at least not within the Black household. The House of Black names you persona non grata for the crimes of sabotage, betrayal, envy and harming the rightful heir to an ancient and noble house.

To the girl who dreams of a knight in shining armor, Ginerva Weasley, I leave a dowry of 20,000 Galleons and notice that you owe my son a life debt. I also leave you this, your mother is directly responsible for what happens from here on out.

To Fleur Delacour, I leave a dowry of 20,000 Galleons and notice that you owe my son a life debt. 

To Amelia Bones, I leave three sickles and a bit of advice: What are you waiting for? Go get him!

To Rubeus Hagrid I leave my old bike. Take good care of her. 

To Augusta Longbottom I leave 300,000 Galleons to assist in paying for the upkeep of Frank and Alice Longbottom. I would love to offer you the head of Bellatrix LeStrange, but that will have to be handled by my son. 

Right, now to the remainder of you lot. To Tripsy, Mione and Daph, well you all likely have been playing with what you got rather regularly so I’ll give you each your choice of which rings you want to wear from the Black family vault and the right to tell who you wish of your current status.

To Fred and George, I leave my notebooks and prank journals with the exception of the one on animagus transformation. I also leave you all of my shares in the Hollyhead Harpies Quidditch team as I am sure Harry will be a little too distracted to appreciate its ownership.

To my son’s truest friend who is not currently married to him, Neville Longbottom, I leave 250,000 Galleons and the Black estate at the Roseheart Dragon Reserve. I hear that it has a truly marvelous greenhouse. 

To Luna Lovegood I leave three keys that have been in my family for longer than any can remember. May you be able to unlock their secrets.

To the last true Marauder, Remus Lupin, I leave the animagus journal with some additional notations that I think you will find intriguing. Here’s a hint, Lily did some new calculations before she died. I also wanted to apologize for deceiving you all these years and ask that you look out for my son as a godfather should. That is, if you are willing.  
Finally, to my son Harry I leave the remainder of my estate and the title of Lord Black with all the rights and responsibilities that it entails. May you return our family name to the bastion of honor it once held. Oh, and kids. Have lots of kids. I know I’m dead, but I want Moony to have someone to tell stories about grandpa Padfoot to.  
Well, I suppose that is that. I leave you with the wish that I will not see any of you any time soon. Please live long happy lives and enjoy what happiness they bring you to its fullest. As a certain orange and black striped stuffed animal used to say, TTFN. Ta ta for now. Lily and I will welcome you home when you get here.

{{As you can see, I also borrowed a bit for Blame Black, but much of this just fell a little flat as I'm not into writing Porn either with or without plot}}


	2. Test of the MARVEL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy Jackson/DC Comics Cross
> 
> Thalia Grace as Captain Marvel. Written about the time of the Trials of Shazam but never got very far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and all related characters are property of Disney and Rick Riordan. Captain Marvel is property of DC Comics. No monies being made and Lawyers make me itch. Please no sue.

I stand there every evening moaning into a microphone, playing up to the crowd. My own guilty pleasure. They all believe I’m doing it for them. What a laugh. This is all about me. This is me masturbating in front of this bar full of has-beens, hopefuls, and never-will-be’s. Hell, they don’t even know my real name. To them I’m Priss Crisis, Hot little barely legal punk chick. I strut my little ass out here and belt out Cherry Bomb, I love Rock ‘n Roll, If I Close my Eyes Forever, and any other retro Joan Jett or Lita Ford song I can come up with.

If they knew how not legal I really was, I’d be screwed and not in the fun way. The bar could get in real trouble having a fourteen-year-old runaway in here, let alone shaking her half naked ass at a bunch of horny college guys. And then there is always the mother superior when I get hauled back to Saint Sarah’s. 

At the end of my set I look up to see the reaction. Not the one from the drunken College bums, but the one from the bar owner, Timothy. If he smiles, I’m going to get paid a bonus for making these losers spend all their money. If he’s not... Well, let’s just say, something’s wrong and he’s going to give me shit about it.

A good night. I walk away with a hundred and fifty big ones and a free drink. Nothing alcoholic. Have to take care of my pipes. At least that’s what I tell him. Truth is, being drunk on the streets is stupid. Too much can happen to you. One has to have their wits about them all the time.

“Hey Priss!” I hear someone call behind me. I blindly wave them off. The guy is honking his horn trying to get my attention. I flip him off, hoping he’ll get the hint. He pulls up next to me in his flashy muscle car, smiling at me. “Oh come on, Priss. Don’t be that way. My buddy and I just want your autograph. You know, for when you become famous.”

“Fuck off,” I toss back to them. 

Then his friend speaks and my blood runs cold. “Of course it would be worth even more if you used your real name, Thalia.”

I stop and look into the car, more appropriately in the passenger seat. I see that neat blond hair and dazzling blue eyes and that one scar that marred his otherwise perfect looks. The scar I gave him. He’s smiling, but it’s not a friendly smile. It’s that same cold smile he had when I ran away. He’d be eighteen now. I feel my feet backing away. “Oh god, Luke.” 

He speaks again. “See Ethan, I told you she’d remember me.” His voice is almost casual. “I bet she could tell you about all the fun we had at Saint Sarah’s.”

“Stay the fuck away from me, you pervert.” I feel my back hit a wall. 

Luke and his friend chuckle and slip out of the car. I look around to see where I can make a break for it and spot a subway entrance. Without thinking, I run for it. I can hear them laughing as they run after me. Their pace is longer than mine and I barely make it to the bottom of the stairs before they catch me. 

“Help me!” I scream only to be answered by my own echo. 

Luke laughs as he pushes me down on the ground. “Same old Thalia. It’s two in the morning. No one’s going to hear you.” He rips my blouse open as his friend sits back and laughs. “I wanted to show you how much I missed you, Thalia. Especially after Annabeth had her little accident.”

I stopped struggling. “What did you do to Annabeth?” My fear keeps building as I see those cold blue eyes look back at me in contempt.

“She took your place, Thalia. Only she wasn’t as strong as you.” He sighs as he pulls off his belt. “Mother Agnes found her with her wrists opened up. You know what the church says about suicides.”

“You killed her.” I stare at him in fear. “You sick fuck.”

Luke loops the belt in his hand. “No, if anyone killed her it was you. If you hadn’t run off, she’d still be alive.”

“You Fucker!” I screamed and his belt connected with the side of my face.

“Language,” He chided in a mocking manner.

I begin praying in my head. Please God, someone, anyone, help me.

Anyone?

I blink back the tears as I feel him jerking down my skirt. Yes, anyone. Help me, please!

What would you give in return?

He wraps the belt around my neck, choking me as he undoes his pants. God, Anything to save me from him.

Even your life?

I look up into those cold heartless eyes and know my answer. “Yes.” The word escapes my lips and I hear laughter. 

“See Ethan,” Luke laughs back at his friend, “I told you she liked it rough.”

I hear Ethan chuckle and answer back. “Just save me a piece.”

Then the world goes black. At first I think I’m blacking out. Wouldn’t have been the first time, then I hear Luke. “Who the fuck turned out the lights?”

I feel him stand and I start pulling myself away. I’m not even sure what direction until I hit a wall. I make myself small, hoping he’ll forget about me. Then I hear it. A low growl, like you hear on those nature shows just before the predator is about to pounce. 

“Hey Luke,” Ethan whimpers, “You hear that?”

“Shut up,” Luke hisses back. “It’s probably some stray mutt. We’ll see it as soon as the lights come back on, then we shoot it.”

“Silly Mortals” It’s the voice from my head. “You don’t even know when you are about to die.”

“Who’s there?” Luke shouts. “Show yourself.”

The voice laughs. “Well that would definitely save some time. However, I’d like to keep the girl alive. She does afterall owe me a debt...Or will once you are disposed of.”  
Suddenly, the lights come on and I’m blinking trying to get my vision back. I see a large tiger in front of me, ready to pounce on Luke and Ethan. 

“What the fuck!” Ethan screams. “I thought you said it was a dog!”

“Who cares!” Luke shouts back while pulling out a pistol. “Shoot it!”

I cringe against the wall, trying to make myself a smaller target, when I feel a pair of arms around me. “Relax, Little one. They will not hurt you. Not anymore.” I look up into the most calming grey eyes I have ever seen and feel instantly safe.

“I’m not little,” I hear myself say. “I’m fourteen.”

The woman holding me smiles. “Ah, practically an adult. My apologies.”

Ethan’s scream tears my attention from the woman back to the action. I see the tiger jump him and rend him open. I gasp and look up at Luke who turns and runs. The tiger turns to follow him.

“Wait!” I shout. “Don’t hurt him!”

The woman looks down at me. “He was going to do far worse to you. He has done far worse.”

I shudder. She is right, but part of me thinks this is wrong. “Let him go. I’m safe for now.”

The woman smiles. “Does this mean you will still honor our bargain?”

I nod my head. “Always keep your word. That’s the code of the street.”

The woman laughs. “Very well, you will now work for me. However,” I feel her eyes look over my body, “perhaps we should start by getting you some proper clothes.”

I look down at my torn and battered clothing and gasp. How am I even going to get down the street like this? She lifts me to my feet and waves her hand across my body. I feel an electric charge pass over me and as if by magic, my clothes are completely different. I’m in a pair of tight white jeans and a red t-shirt with a yellow lightening bolt on it. My heels are replaced by red rocket dogs and my stockings have now become white ankle socks. 

She looks me over before heading toward the tracks. “That will do for now,” she calls back, “Come along. We don’t want to miss our train.”

I look at her. “What train? It’s like two in the morning.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I hear the distinctive sound of a subway tram pulling in. My jaw drops as I see the conductor, or rather see through him.

“Come along Thalia,” The woman smiled as she boarded. “We have a long way to travel.”

I step on the train when it hits me. “Wait! How do you know my name?”

She laughs then looks out at the tiger. “Mr. Tawny, we are leaving.”

The tiger looks back at her and growls almost as if protesting.

The woman scowls. “I don’t care if you are still hungry. You can eat when we get home.”

I gape as the tiger seems to be moping as it gets on the car. 

“You can understand it?” It’s more of a question than a statement.

The woman smiles at me. “One of the great keys to wisdom, Thalia, is to accept the fact that women will never fully understand men and men will never begin to understand women.”

I blink. “Um, right. So how do you know my name?”

The woman’s smile widens. “I know a great many things Thalia Grace, or do you prefer Priss Crisis now?”

I move away from her. “Who the heck are you, lady?”

She sighs and sits on an ornate throne that I swear wasn’t there a second ago. She regards me with a cool stare before continueing. “Who do you think I am, Thalia Grace? Who would know your name or the promise your mother made that you would be raised in the old ways, only to have that promise be shattered by the end of her own life. Who would have watched over you from birth? Who would comfort you when the ‘nuturing mothers’ would beat you for believing in a goddess then leave you at the mercies of those like that filth in the station? Who would wipe your tears and hold you as you cried in the night? Who am I, Thalia Grace?”

I fall to my knees with comprehension. The stories that my mother told me when I was little. Before she and Dad went to Turkey. Before they were killed and I was carted off to Saint Sarah’s. Stories of a Goddess that was an equal to the God. Stories of how the Goddess protected her chosen and true believers. Stories of how followers of the God got greedy and fearful of the Goddess and drove her followers underground. 

“Goddess,” I whisper, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.” I bow my head. “I’d forgotten. It’s been so long…”

I feel a gentle hand lift my face up to look at her. “Do not be upset, my daughter.” Her eyes are full of compassion for me. “It is I who should apologize to you. The path that has been laid before you has been a terrible one, but one lain with a purpose. I fear what lies ahead will be more difficult by far, especially since you have sworn your life to me.”

I feel the tears run down my cheek. “I am ready,” I call out. “I am ready to be what my mother always wanted me to be. Your servant.”

The Goddess looks thoughtful. “We shall see, Thalia Grace. For now, rest.”

M*A*R*V*E*L

I wake up to see mountains outside the window. Looking around groggily, I notice the tiger licking a rather large soup bone and a young girl at the other end of the cabin reading a book. Something about her draws my attention. Maybe it’s her blond hair or the intent way she is staring at the magazine. It looks like Architecture Today. Then it clicks with me. She’s wearing a Saint Sarah’s uniform.

“Annabeth?”

She looks up from her book and smiles at me. “Glad to see you finally woke up.”

I walk over to her. “Luke said you were…”

She smiles sadly at me. “As a doornail, big sis. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

I close my eyes and kneel down in front of her. “I’m sorry. I should have taken you with me. Or never left at all. If I hadn’t been so selfish-“

I feel a pair of arms hug me and realize it’s Annabeth. “If you hadn’t left, we’d both be being raped and both might have been on that shower floor bleeding out. It wasn’t your fault, Thalia.”

I look at her through my tears. “You were only ten,” I whisper.

She shakes her head. “He started when I was eight.”

I look at her in horror. “Why didn’t you…”

She smiles sadly. “Who was there to tell? Mother Agnes considered us all lying trollops and Luke was her golden boy. He was rich and charming and made sure mommy and daddy put lots of money into the orphanage. In return he had his run of all the girls because who really cared about a bunch of outcasts.”

I feel myself getting angry. “It’s not right.”

“What can we do? We’re only kids. Orphans at that.”

“Someone should protect us! We’re not some throw away kids!”

“Who could protect us?”

“The Goddess. I’ve seen her. She saved me from Luke.”

“I don’t believe in the Goddess, Thalia.”

“I’ll prove to you that she exists.”

“How?”

I look at her. How am I going to show her that the Goddess is real? How am I going to prove that which can only be shown by faith? How did my mother prove it to me? Then something caught my attention. I’m holding on to Annabeth and she is supposed to be dead. A suicide at that. I look into her eyes and see cool silver grey.

“You know it’s pretty bad not to believe in yourself,” I deadpan. “I mean, what would Buddha and Jesus say?”

Annabeth smiles and laughs before answering in the Goddess’ voice. “Cheeky girl, and clever to boot. I think I have chosen right. Still, you haven’t answered the question. How do you show me to those who don’t believe?”

I close my eyes and summon my courage. “By being your symbol and living by your laws and ways. That is what my mother did.”

The Goddess nods. “Very good. You have taken your first step on the path. On this path, you will be tested by aspects of my presence. Seven tests to prove yourself as my herald and symbol. If you pass them all, I will make you a marvel unto the world. A symbol to the oppressed and a guardian to the defenseless. Do you accept this challenge?”  
I nod. “Yes, with every part of my being.”

The Train pulls to a stop. Mr. Tawny drops his bone and pads up to the door. The Goddess stands and leads me to the doorway next to Mr. Tawny. “Mr. Tawny will go with you to guide and keep you company.” Suddenly, Mr. Tawny is an orange and white house cat on a leash and lead. The goddess places the lead in my hand and kisses me on the forehead. I feel a faint buzzing in my ears.

“A gift,” she whispers, “One that will come in handy during the coming trials.”

“As fascinating as all this is,” I hear Mr. Tawny drawl, “can we please leave? I’m starving.”

I blink. “He talked!”

“Well of course I did.” He looks at me with disdain. “How else am I supposed to get the finest albacore if I don’t tell you?”

The Goddess smiles. “I have given you the gift of tongues. Now, no matter where you are, you will be able to converse normally.”

I smile. “Thank you.”

“Hello! Feline wasting away!”

The Goddess rolls her eyes. “You best go before he gets worse.”

I nod and step out of the train. As it pulls away I blink with a realization. “Wait, where am I going?”

M*A*R*V*E*L

I sit there watching the orange and white feline scarf down his third can of albacore in the past hour. At two bucks a can, this is getting expensive. I guess I should be thankful that I’m still in the United States, but Denver is nothing like New York. Not to mention I still have no idea where to go or what to do. 

“Not to sound impatient or anything,” I finally speak up, “but what am I supposed to do here?”

Mr. Tawny finishes the can before looking at me. “You could always get me another can. Do you know how long it has been since I have had albacore?”

I glare at him. He swallows and tries to look meek. 

“Look,” I finally grind out, “This is not an all you can eat buffet. I’m supposed to be proving myself to the Goddess.” 

“How do you know this isn’t a test of generosity?” Mr. Tawny asks while giving me a Cheshire worthy smile.

“Maybe I’m just supposed to skin a cat,” I shoot back. “How about getting talky Tawney, or would you rather be a violin and two fur lined gloves?”

“Very well,” He sighs, “and the day was going oh so well. You have seven tests ahead of you. One for each of six aspects of the Goddess and a seventh even she has yet to reveal to me. With each successful test, you will receive that aspects blessing: Minerva’s wisdom, Aurora’s Beauty, Roma’s majesty, Vesta’s compassion, Epona’s swiftness, and Luna’s Strength. As I have said, I have no way of knowing what the seventh test will be beyond it being your hardest.”

“Okay, so where is the first test?” I ask. 

Tawny looks at me incredulously. “What? Just like that? We just walk up without preparation? Is that your great plan? No armor or weapons?”

I blink. “I didn’t realize that I’d need them.”

Tawny rolls his eyes. “There are more dangers than just the tests. The Goddess has her enemies, not to mention your rather persistent one. I would think a little protection would be ideal.”

“What do you mean my rather persistent one? I don’t have any enemies.”

Tawny snorts. “Oh, and just what is Luke then? Did you just think he would scamper off and learn his lesson? He chased after you once. What makes you think he won’t do so again?”

I had forgotten about Luke. And Tawny was right, I need weapons. “But I don’t kill,” I finally respond. “The Goddess is about mercy above all else. So should I.”

Tawny shrugs. “Suit yourself. Just remember that the Goddess has her dark side as well. Some times the greater mercy is to give someone a ticket to the reincarnation railroad.”

I snort and stand. “Great metaphor.”

He looks at me. “You were on it. Did it look like a metaphor to you?”

That stops me in my tracks. “The train…that was…but it couldn’t be…”

Tawny looksup at me. “Just like I can’t change into a bullet proof Tiger? I think it’s time to teach you a couple things along the way.”

I follow along behind him. “Where are we going?” 

His tail swishes. “A friend of mine has a shop near here. She’ll get you kitted out toot sweet.”

M*A*R*V*E*L

“Now,” Tawny says in his most professor like tone, “You need to learn the rules of magic. Not those that you’ll learn at some wizardry school in Europe or that joke in Salem, but real down to earth rules. These rules govern everything in the world. Even the Goddess and the God.”

I smile as the bus begins to roll. “How long is this lesson going to take?” I ask. “I mean you said there are only four stops between here and your friend’s place.”  
He scowls at me. “A lot less time if you quit interrupting me. Now people like to set up all sorts of special rules, but here are the big three. First, Everything is real. Vampires and werewolves exist. Trees can speak and if you get sprinkled with pixie dust you can really fly.”

“Alright, I think I can handle that. So every belief in existence is real, and no one is by extension wrong.”

Tawny smiles. “Very good. This next one is a little trickier. Rule number two, Everything is a lie. Everything you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste doesn’t exist. There are no young couples holding hands and groping each other desperately. There is no car that cut you off in traffic. Luke never raped you, because Luke isn’t real.”  
I shake my head. “But I remember it. I can see it. How is that possible?”

Tawny shakes his head. “It’s not real. Let it go. You only think it’s real and therefore hold on to it. You define your reality by moments that are only illusions.”  
I take a deep breath. “So everything is real and everything is a lie. How can that be?”

Tawny does a back flip. “Yes! She’s beginning to get it! Now to answer your question, rule three. Rule one and Rule two shall always be in effect. This is the Paradox and also the source of magic.”

I look at him. “It can’t be that simple.”

He smiles. “I’m afraid it is.”

“You mean to tell me that magic is just deciding what is real and fake for your personal reality?”

“In a nutshell, yes. Oh, here’s our stop.” Without missing a beat, he hops down and is out the door leaving me to catch up to him.

I finally catch up to him in front of a tattoo parlor. “Okay, wait. Then why doesn’t everyone use magic?”

“Oh they do,” He replies, not even looking back at me, “They just don’t realize it. Could you get the door please?”

I open the door then blink. “Wait, we’re buying weapons at a tattoo parlor?”

Mr. Tawny looks up at me. “One, you are getting a weapon. No one said anything about buying. Two, just what is wrong with a tattoo parlor?”

I start to protest, then I see the dark haired woman staring at me. “Hey Tawny,” She greets the furball. “Who’s the chit?”

I glare at her. “Hey! watch who you’re calling a chit, bint.”

The woman laughs. “She’s got fire, I’ll give her that.”

Tawny chuckles. “Minnie, meet Thalia. Thalia, meet ‘Manic’ Minnie Morgaine, the best inker in Denver.”

I can feel myself pale. “I’m not getting a tattoo!”

The woman snorts. “Of course not. Do you think I want to lose my license? What’s she doing here?”

Tawny hops up onto a counter and starts grooming himself. “The Goddess has chosen her as the Marvel. She will need to be protected.”

Minnie looks at him incredulously. “Her? She’s what, ten?”

“I’m fourteen,” I answer. 

She looks dead at me. “First rule, Don’t give anything freely. It should always come with a price.”

I swallow but try to keep a brave face. “So now I’m getting more rules. Alright, so what is this weapon going to cost me?”

Minnie snorts again before heading back into her shop. “That to the point attitude is going to get you killed. Guess I better get this over with before someone asks why I’m taking in orphans.”

I follow as she heads back into the shop. Already I don’t like this woman. Why did Tawny bring me here? 

“Here’s how this is going to work,” she shouts back to me. “You’re gonna clean my shop, and in return I’m gonna kit you out. For every question I ask, you have the right to answer or not, but every question you don’t answer means I leave something out of the kit. Seeing as you answered one before our little deal I’ll give you one item for free. Now, the broom, mop, rags, antiseptic and floor cleaner are in the back closet. Don’t touch anyone’s station, the renters are responsible for their own, We open in three hours. Any questions?”

“Hundreds,” I snark, “but nothing that pertains to the job.”

Minnie chuckles. “Good, you just might live through this. Get to work.”

M*A*R*V*E*L

The first hour is grueling. Sweeping was easy enough, but the mopping was ridiculous. I would get maybe five feet of the floor done before Minnie would tell me to go back, dump out the water and start again. Thankfully, she had locked the door and pulled the shades so no one could see her abusing child labor. Not that it seemed anyone would notice. As I finally make it to the back corner with the mopping she finally says something other than an order to me.

“You thirsty?”

“Yeah,” I admit as I pour the dirty mop water into the toilet and flush. 

She brings me back a glass of water and sets it on the counter. I reach for it, but she stops me. “What was the first lesson I taught you?”

I scowl and realize I’d been set up. “Don’t give anything freely. It should always come with a price.” My eyes meet hers and I see a flicker of something. I’m not quite sure what it is though. So continue. “So, what does a glass of water cost here?”

Minnie smiles evilly and hands me a small bundle. “Wear this, and only this. No shoes or socks. No underwear. Just the swimsuit .”

I look at her incredulously. “What are you? Some type of pedophile ?”

Minnie shrugs. “Either change and get the drink or don’t and get back to work. Your choice.”

I take the package and slam the door. It takes me five minutes before I’m comfortable walking back out. Thankfully, it’s a one-piece swimsuit but really doesn’t leave much to the imagination. My admittedly small breasts seem a little larger in it and when I see Minnie look at me, I feel exposed. I self-consciously take the water and start drinking.  
For her part, Minnie just walks past me and picks up my clothes before heading out the back door. I blink and look at Tawney. “Where was she headed with my clothes?”  
Tawney just yawned. “Likely the rubbish bin.”

I shriek and head for the back door to find her standing in the way. “You threw out my clothes!” I raise a hand to hit her, but she catches it and twists me around to where I’m facing the wall. I feel her breath on my neck and fight of the shiver it causes. “I threw out trash that was going to hold you down. Let it go.”

I struggle for another few moments before giving up. “Now what?” I mutter.

Minnie chuckles. “Now you get back to work. There’s some bathroom cleaner in the closet. By the way, did you know that tattoo shops don’t normally open on Mondays?”

I gape for several seconds before squeaking out a “No”.

Minnie’s chuckle turns into a full out laugh. “Finish the bathroom and we’ll have a talk, chit.”

I finally move free of her grip and get back to cleaning, now realizing that her eyes aren’t leaving me for a second.


	3. Tabula Rasa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a story just starts from a single line and I just let the ramblings go until they are out of my head. That was where this twisted little piece of fluff came from. Well, that some cold medicine and an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger that was on as I was trying to recover from a nasty flu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: the characters from Walker: Texas Ranger are property of CBS Productions and likely Chuck and Aaron Norris in some way shape or form. Lieutenant Louie Provenza is Property of Warner Brothers Television. Zoe Culloden is property of Marvel Comics. Julie Walker is an analog of Jubilee who is property of Marvel comics. Catching a theme here? In short, if you see it, I likely don’t own it. This story was even inspired by stories that I had read and the ideas filtered through my warped little brain and coalesced into this sticky congealed mess. There will be mature themes, and by mature themes I mean that if you still have to listen to what your parents want you to do then you probably shouldn’t read this story and if you are offended by fictional characters doing naughty things, then definitely don’t. Of course if it’s about offense then you might want to get some help about distinguishing fantasy from reality. Just saying.

“So,” a voice echoed through the dark cellblock from one holding cell to another, the other cell holding a small raven-haired girl that looked to be no older than sixteen, “What you in for?”

The girl opened her eyes and gazed over to where the voice had come from. He was an ugly bruiser, six and a half feet of feral fury with shoulder length filthy blond hair and wearing the stereotypical wild man trucker attire, minus the likely buckskin or denim jacket. She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully as she continued to take him in. The man seemed to remind her of someone, but she couldn’t place it at the moment.

“Eating fish on Fridays,”she shot back. 

The man looked momentarily stunned before he asked. “Now I haven’t been to mass in an awfully long time, but aren’t you supposed to eat fish on Fridays?”

“Not on the corner of fifth and main with her having a screaming orgasm apparently,” the girl explained with a grin. “They tend to call that public indecency.”

The man blinked and snorted. “You’re alright kid. So what’s her name?”

“Who?”

“Your girl,” the man elaborated. “The one you’re in here for.”

“Ah.” She stood up and stretched before cracking her neck. “That could be why they added the prostitution charge. Well, that and the hundred bucks she gave me.”

“You’re a hooker?”

“I’m broke and homeless,” she responded evenly. “Hence why I’m cooling my heels here rather than using the c-note to bail myself out. Better accommodations than an alley way.” She sat back down on her bench and leaned against the wall. “How about you?”

The man chuckled and shrugged. “Not near as interesting as yours. I was mouthy with a cop at a traffic stop. They’re probably going to tear my car apart trying to find something to book me on. Names Vince.”

The girl nodded briefly before continuing to glance around. “Julie,” she said casually, “or at least something similar to that. Everything from more than a year ago is a little fuzzy.”

Vince cocked his head. “No one’s been looking for you? Friends? Family?”

Julie shrugged. “If they have, Houston PD hasn’t picked up on it. I’ve sorta been drifting since they kicked me out of the hospital. I’m not really as bad off as it sounds, just had a bad couple of weeks and needed a place to stay for the night.”

Vince scowled. “So a criminal record is preferable to talking to a social worker? Well, since I knew a few when I was in my old job I can’t really argue with that.”

“And what was your old job?”

They could hear the door back to the holding cells open and a couple sets of footsteps heading towards them. Julie looked up and saw the duty guard leading a black man in a three piece suit and a cowboy hat. Her eyebrow raised when the guard unlocked Vince’s cell and held it open. “Sorry for the misunderstanding Mr. Delacroix,” the guard said softly. “Jameson is a bit of a prick, but he means well.”

Vince nodded at the guard then grinned at the black man. “And people say having friends in high places isn’t always useful. How you doing, Jimmy?”

The black man chuckled and clapped Vince on the shoulder. “Not too bad. Be doing better if I wasn’t having to go around and spring ex-Texas Rangers out of jail. What possessed you to tell a beat cop to go fuck himself?”

Vince laughed and shook his head as they started making their way out. “The little ass was all but saying that I was running drugs. He’s lucky I didn’t punch him in the kisser.” Vince stopped just outside the cell and took a look at Julie. “Hey Jimmy, do Cordell and Alex still have that room they’re trying to rent out?”

Jimmy glanced back at the girl and groaned. “Damn it Vince, Walker will kill me.” He glared at Vince for a full five count before asking, “What’s she in for?”

“Officially,” the guard commented, “Prostitution and public indecency. It’ll all be dropped in the morning anyway because no one really saw anything and we can’t prove that the money was given for sex or that she actually did anything to the woman.”

“I didn’t,” Julie chirped. “She just bet me a hundred bucks that I wouldn’t stick my head under her skirt.” When the three men looked at her, Julie ginned un-apologetically. “The cop car turning to pass by was just icing on the cake.” Her grin widened at the incredulous look on Jimmy’s face. “You’d be surprised what a girl will do to have a decent place to sleep for the night.”

Jimmy opened and closed his mouth several times before sighing and shaking his head. “What the hell, it’s not like you’d be the first we helped out. What would it take to have her released into my custody?”

“Promise to get her out of Houston,” the guard said with a snort. “Her mouth is going to get her shot by Jameson or one of the other hotheads before too long.”

XXX

Three weeks later...

“Order up!” Julie quickly grabbed the order and took it to the table. She had to admit that the past few weeks had been a whirlwind but in a very good way. She hadn’t realized how much of her life she had been avoiding until she had moved in with the Walker’s. Not all of it was particularly fun, but she could admit to herself that it wasn’t really bad either.

The first not fun thing was the insistence of Alex that she take placement tests and be enrolled in school. Of course that went out the window when she aced every placement test except for math. Of course that was when they found out she had Dyscalculia. So she now only had a math tutor so that she could prepare for taking her GED and Alex trying to convince her to consider college.

Of course Alex led to the other not fun thing. Well, not fun in the sense of a sort of sweet torture. It was shortly upon meeting Mrs. Alexandra Walker that she had realized that she was very attracted to the female form. Something that had come to a forefront when Alex had discovered the makeshift gag Julie had been using to cover her screaming orgasms she brought herself to relieving herself from very vivid dreams in the morning. A very awkward and embarrassing conversation later and Julie was officially out of the closet while Alex was flattered but decidedly not interested.

 

That’s not to say there weren’t very good things. First, the Walkers got her a job at C.D.’s as a waitress which it turned out that she was rather good at. She also found out that she was more than capable at martial arts after a sparring session in which she put Jimmy Trivett on his backside in four straight falls. Of course the best part was having Alex and Cordell being there for her whenever things got frustrating. 

In the end, the whole lot of them (Jimmy, Cordell, Alex, and even Vince when he was in town) had become the family that she didn’t realize she needed. It had allowed her to break out of the street tough little kid that did what it took to survive and become the friendly and outgoing Chinese-American woman that everyone seemed to love here. Especially that lady Ranger that came in every morning and ordered coffee but never seemed to finish her cup and always wanted to be seated at Julie’s table. Julie tried to keep her expectations guarded and wasn’t about to make the first move yet, but if Sydney Cook didn’t ask her out in the next two weeks... Well, a girl might just have to take matters into her own hands. 

She had finished serving her table when she saw Cordell and Jimmy walk in. “There are my two favorite Rangers,” she called out cheerfully before she noticed that neither of them were their normally cheerful selves. She glanced over at the hostess, one of the many changes since the previous owner’s passing, and jerked her head over to her empty table. The hostess nodded and moved to seat the two Rangers while Julie went to the bar. “A coffee for Cordell and a beer for Jimmy. He looks like he needs it.”

The bartender looked at Julie. “Come on Cracker, you know you’re not allowed to serve beer.”

“That’s why you’re going to take it over for me,” Julie countered. “Take one good look at Jimmy and tell me he doesn’t need it.”

The bartender looked up and groaned. “Fine, but this is the last time.”

“Until the next time,” Julie said with a snort before tending to her other tables. When she finally made her way over to the Ranger’s table she had seen that Alex was also sitting with them and the three of them looked somewhat grim. It wasn’t the someone died grim but more the we need to talk to you and you’re not going to like the conversation grim. Julie put on her best smile and was in full waitress mode. “So what can I get you three and did someone get a drink order for Alex? As long as it’s not beer or booze I can get it for you.”

Jimmy looked up and gave her a forced smile. “Cliff is coming back with her coke, Cracker. How about you take a break for a bit.”

Julie gave him a mock glare. “Watch it Cowboy. It’s bad enough you got Cliff calling me that.” she noticed the seriousness on Cordell’s face and sobered up a bit. “I’ve got a couple tables that are almost finished eating and then you lot can have me for the rest of the evening. Something tells me that I’ll want to clear my schedule. Now, what will you have?”

She took their orders and placed one for herself before finishing the other tables and sitting down with her adopted family and took a determined look. “Okay, is this Ranger business, ADA business, or stop hitting on Sydney you’re making her nervous business? And if it’s the last one, I’d like to point out she keeps requesting my section and tips embarrassingly well.”

Cordell smiled at the last one, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s none of those, but it would be best if Jimmy told you-“

Julie turned and glared at Jimmy for real this time. “What did you do?”

Jimmy sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I ran your DNA in the missing person database.”

“Damn it Jimmy!” Julie hissed. “I thought I told you to let it drop! It’s not like it would change any-.”

“We got a hit,” Jimmy cut her off. “A really old hit. Like beginning of the database hit.”

Julie looked at him stunned. “I’m a missing person? How long?”

“Fourteen years,” Cordell offered up. “That’s part of the reason that Houston PD didn’t find anything. That and the fact that we had your age wrong by about three years. You’re actually nineteen. The other problem was that no one was sure if you were a missing person or a fatality.”

“What?”

This time it was Alex who explained. “Your parents were murdered by contract killers. The men were caught a few years later but insisted that they never got you. In fact one of them accredited you with being one of the people that caught them. Still there was no definite record that you were still alive until Jimmy entered your DNA profile into the database to see what turned up. There’s a detective coming from Los Angeles to talk to you in a couple weeks and an insurance adjuster to settle affairs from your parents estate. They agreed to let Cordell and I to talk to you and soften some of the blow.”

Julie took a breath and let it out shakily. “Did...did they have a full name for me? I’m kinda getting tired of being Julie Doe.”  
“Jubilation Lee,” Jimmy answered softly. 

Julie made a face. “Wow, Julie Doe is not so bad now. Might want to think of a name change after I finish all the paperwork.”

“Julie,” Alex soothed. “It’s okay to hurt. You don’t have to -“

“I think I just have to work things out,” Julie cut Alex off and stood. “I’ll be home later.” She walked out the door before anyone could stop her and headed quickly down the street so that it would be difficult for any of them to follow. She kept walking until she heard someone call her name, then turned and found herself looking into Sydney’s concerned eyes.

“Julie, what’s wrong? I saw you almost running out of CD’s.”

Julie stared at Sydney for several seconds before blurting out, “I’m Nineteen. You know, in case that’s what has been keeping you from asking me out. I just found out from Jimmy. He did something I told him not to and found out that I was in the missing persons registry after all. Of course he found out that my parents were murdered too, but I guess that’s not so bad because I don’t remember them. But it is bad because it hurts and I don’t know why it hurts and...and...” Julie felt Sydney wrap her up in a hug. This seemed like more than her fragile mood could handle and she couldn’t stop herself from crying.

***

Julie woke to the sound of her phone ringing, which she found on the coffee table in front of her. Looking around, she realized that she wasn’t at the Walkers like she promised and was feeling more than a little worried that Cordell’s stern voice would be on the other end of the line. She nervously picked up the phone and was momentarily relieved to see “Cowboy” on the caller id. She flipped open the phone and answered. “Morning Jimmy, what can I do for you?”

“Julie?” responded Jimmy with a bit of surprise. “Well, this is a good news bad news situation if I’ve ever seen one.”

“What are you talking about Trivett? And use small words as my head hurts.”

“Well,” the Ranger drawled with obvious mirth in his voice, “The good news is that I can tell Walker that he can call off the search party to find you as I already have. The bad news is that I didn’t call you.”

Julie blinked and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes. “You didn’t?”

“Nope.” Julie found herself a little annoyed at the way that Jimmy popped the “p” in that one word. “I called Sydney. Now, why would you be answering Sydney’s phone?”

“Because it was in front of me and looked just like my phone,” Julie groused.

“And where did you wake up that Sydney’s phone would be in front of you?” Trivett was sounding entirely too chipper in Julie’s opinion.

“Because I fell asleep on her couch apparently,” Julie snarked back. “Now go rat out my felonious couch napping to Cordell and Alex while I try to find my phone and apologize for not coming home.” She shut the phone and looked around the surprisingly neat apartment. As her eyes made it to where she was expecting the bedroom door, she saw a sheepish looking and half-dressed Sydney holding her phone. “I seem to have gotten our phones mixed up.”

Julie nodded trying to get her brain to restart before she said something stupid. “You got Jimmy listed as Cowboy?” Too late.

Sydney laughed and nodded. “Ticks him off. You have Walker listed as dad?”

Julie winced and shrugged. “He sort of reminds me of a dad. I take it you talked to him.”

“That would be a yes,” Sydney said with a sigh then got a bit of a mischievous smirk. “So is Alex listed as mom?”

Julie groaned and rolled her eyes. “No, Alex is listed as ‘Bad Thoughts’. Could you please tell me what happened in the last twelve hours because there is a big block I’m not too clear on and I hope I didn’t embarrass myself too badly.”

Sydney made her way over and sat down next to Julie. “Honestly, you pretty much had a meltdown and cried yourself to sleep on my couch when I got you here. I was pretty freaked out which is why I didn’t think to call Walker and like I said earlier got our phones mixed up.”

“Oh good,” Julie sighed in relief.

“Of course that was all after you told me that you were nineteen in case it was what was keeping me from asking you out.”

Julie’s eyes opened in horrid realization. “Oh god.”

“It was actually,” Sydney confirmed with a bit of a blush. “Well that and trying to explain to Walker why I was taking advantage of his very young house guest. He and Alex are rather fond of you.”

Julie returned the blush with a bit of a smile. “So how long have you realized you were gay?”

Sydney laughed and shook her head. “I’m bi, not gay, and I sort of realized that in college when my room mate seduced me. What about you?”

“Well,” Julie hedged, “I’m not sure about before my memory loss and while I was in Houston it was all survival. But I can honestly say that when I first met Alex, it was wow. And um...yeah, I’m gay.” She quickly looked anywhere but Sydney’s eyes. “So, what else did I say before I became an incoherent mess?”

“Something about your parents being dead,” Sydney responded, readily accepting the subject change. “If you want, I could...”

Julie shook her head. “Apparently it’s already been solved. A detective is coming from Los Angeles to ask me a few questions and there is an insurance adjuster that is coming to talk to me about something or other, but as for the who, what, when, where and why they have the answers.” She stood and began pacing. “I just wish I knew why I felt so...so...”

“Lost?” Sydney offered.

Julie nodded. “I mean I found out there was a worse name than Ms. Doe. Jubilation Lee? What the hell were my parents thinking?”

Sydney hid her smile behind a cough and tried to be supportive. “It sounds like your parents were probably immigrants. You were their bright spot of their new life.”

Julie gave her a wan smile. “Aren’t you supposed to say probably the bright spot.”

 

Sydney stood again and wrapped her arms around Julie. “I’m certain you were the brightest part of their day, because you brighten the day of everyone around you... Well, except for Cliff, but he’s a jerk.”

Julie laughed and gave Sydney a quick peck on the lips. “Thanks.” Instinctively, she leaned in and placed another kiss on Sydney’s lips. Followed by another kiss. Which Sydney enthusiastically returned. Which was soon deepened by both parties. Followed by them both stumbling towards the couch.

“Wait,” Sydney gasped as she pulled back reluctantly. “I promised Walker that nothing happened. I don’t want to lie to him.”

“But nothing has happened,” Julie returned. “Yet...unfortunately.”

Sydney looked at Julie pleadingly. “Do you want to lie to Walker?”

Julie whimpered and deflated. “Fine. Stupid morals.”

***

The week went by exceedingly fast and painfully slow for Julie. Sometimes at the exact same moment. The times she spent with Sydney, her bright shiny semi-Walker approved girlfriend, seemed to be over almost as soon as they began. The fact that it was still in the very beginning of their relationship and neither one seemed to be particularly keen on public displays of affection (much to Cordell’s relief) meant that they seemed to most outsiders to be really close friends. This of course led to Julie being hit on incessantly by the waiter, Cliff, who she wanted to impart serious amounts of violence and injury.

Of course the dreadfully slow part of the week had been the impending meeting with the detective and the adjuster that was set for the week’s end. The detective interview was to take place at the Ranger’s Office on Friday at four and the adjuster a couple hours later at the bank. The last part had been confusing until it had been explained over the phone that the group handling the issues didn’t have an office in Dallas and that recent laws concerning large sums of currency had been changed so this would settle several issues.

She had called out of work on Friday and instead opted to stay at the Ranger’s Office all day listening to those that had become her friends and waiting for the inevitable meeting. Walker had assigned Jimmy and Sydney to keep her company which hadn’t been hard since both of them had recently come off a smuggling case and were due some down time. It was after the seventh hand of rummy that they noticed the grey-haired and somewhat pudgy man being led over to them by Cordell.

“Ms. Lee,” the man said softly. “My name is Lieutenant Louie Provenza of the Los Angeles Police Department. May I say that while I am sorry for your loss and there hasn’t been a day that has gone by that your parents deaths haven’t affected me, it did my heart good to hear that you were alive after all this time.”

“Thank you,” Julie said a bit shyly. “And it’s Julie. The other name sounds alien to me now. I’m not sure how I can help, but I’ll do whatever I can.”

Lieutenant Provenza smiled a bit and chuckled. “Well to be honest, there was just the question of where you’ve been for the last fourteen years. You just seemed to drop off the map.”

Julie winced. “I was afraid of that. I can get you a medical record of when I was in the hospital at Houston and give you a rough rundown of the past year, but before that...”

Sydney thankfully took up the slack on the line of questioning. “She was brought in to Houston General in a bit of a fugue state a little over a year ago and when they were able to clear it she couldn’t recall any of her past.”

“You mean like amnesia?” Provenza asked skeptically.

 

“More like I blocked it out,” Julie admitted. “I’m a house guest of Ranger Walker’s and he can tell you about my night terrors. They don’t happen often, but I’m told their pretty scary and when I’m woken up I don’t remember what I was experiencing. I’m pretty much a blank slate save for somehow being a literature and history wiz and the only Chinese girl bad at math.” 

“History major?” Provenza blinked at that one.

Julie laughed. “Ask me about the why’s and wherefore’s in American or world history and I can usually rattle off what I’ve been told is a college level answer. Just don’t hold me to the dates. I also apparently have a fairly well developed knowledge of martial arts and if Ranger Walker and his wife are any indication a fairly decent cook.”

“I’ll attest to that as well,” Jimmy jokingly added in.

Provenza frowned in thought before offering a different approach. “Perhaps if your willing, we could try a psychiatrist or hypno...” he trailed off as he saw the subtle shake of Jimmy’s head. “Am I missing something here?”

Julie smiled and not too subtly elbowed Jimmy in the side. “Ranger Walker and Ranger Trivett here suggested it a month ago. In fact Jimmy tried to push me into it and I became the only person in this office’s history to be allowed to beat up a Ranger on duty. I’ve got the feeling I don’t want to remember what I’ve gone through. Something inside tells me it’s not a nice place and knowing what’s happened won’t do me any good. I’m sorry Lieutenant, but I’m not willing to risk what little sanity I’ve been able to scrounge together to find out something that won’t change anything.”

Provenza sighed before one last attempt. “I don’t suppose I could convince you on the off chance that we could catch who ever did what to you?”

Julie shook her head. “Too many ways it could all end up wrong and I’m not really sure anyone did anything to me. It could just be the trauma of living on the streets for so long. I’m sorry you wasted your time.”

Provenza chuckled. “You didn’t waste my time little lady. I was due some vacation time anyway and just took a flight to a part of our great nation I hadn’t seen on the City of Los Angeles’ dime. I’ll be in town for a few days in case you change your mind, which I’m fairly certain you won’t, and take in the sights while I’m here.” He stood and shook her hand. “Now can anyone direct me to a place to gets some good food?”

Jimmy chuckled. “I’m about to go off duty, so how about I take you over to CD’s.”

“I’m much obliged,” the lieutenant said with a smile.

***

The meeting in the bank was in a word odd. When Julie and the Walkers arrived, they were instantly taken into a back office where a blonde woman in a violet suit dress and wearing red tinted glasses was waiting on them. She stood and politely shook their hands before introducing herself. “Ms. Lee, Mr. and Mrs. Walker, I am Zoe Culloden: senior expediter for the firm of Landau, Luckman, and Lake.”

“Expediter?” Cordell asked. “I thought this was about insurance.”

Ms. Culloden shook her head. “My firm was assigned to handle Ms. Lee’s interests by her father. All of her monetary assets have already been taken care of and a trust has been set up in her name to handle her finances. Now that we have been able to track her down, I am authorized to give her access to her trust with a limit of two thousand dollars a month until her twenty-fifth birthday when she will have full unrestricted access if she so wishes. I also have some items that were left to her and also two waivers that will allow a one time removal of funds for a particularly large purchase. The first waiver has an upper limit of twenty-five thousand dollars for the purchase of a motor vehicle, while the second has an upper limit of two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the purchase of a residence. The waivers will have to be signed by both Ms. Lee and the manager of her trust and both will be required to be present when the amount is to be delivered. Are there any questions?”

 

“Yeah,” Julie responded. “In order, Who is the manager of my trust? What happens if I should change my name, which I intend to do? Is there a house in my name in California and if so what shape is it in? And just how much money is in this trust if I can remove a quarter million, let alone two thousand dollars a month and expect there to be money left over in six years?”

Ms. Culloden looked at Julie for a moment before asking, “Any other questions?”

“I’m sure I’ll have more in the future,” Julie replied with a small smile. “I’ll be sure to ask them when they pop up.”

Ms. Culloden allowed a small smile grace her face before beginning. “First, the manager of your trust will be assigned by the end of this meeting and will be partially your choice. I say partially because they are required to have credit in good standing and be free of any legal entanglements that could be construed as a conflict of interest. Beyond those limitations it can be anyone you choose.”

Julie looked at Alex. “Would you consider doing it? I’d ask Cordell, but then I’d probably end up with a practical car rather than one I want and while living with you two is fun, I’m really more of a city girl.”

Alex grinned. “So no farms in the country?”

“Not unless I can pave it,” Julie said with a grin and getting a grim grunt out of Cordell.

Ms. Culloden nodded thoughtfully. “An Assistant District Attorney is an acceptable choice though she will have to recuse herself from any legal matters you may come up against in the state. Now as for the second question, changing your name will have no effect on the trust. It will be between you and Mrs. Walker as to how this is handled but the trust is attached to you and will be there as long as you wish it. 

“Third, the Lee estate was sold nine years ago and the proceeds were placed in the trust to be managed along with all other assets until such time as you could claim your inheritance. I believe the current owner of your former home is a NBA center, though I can’t be sure. It has changed hands several times. 

“As to the fourth question, at the last audit the trust is valued at approximately ten million five hundred seventy-six thousand dollars. Of course that isn’t taking in to account any dividends from investments or trading that has taken place since the last audit.”

“When was the last audit completed?” Alex asked out of curiosity. Julie wasn’t able to ask anything out of shock.

Ms. Culloden flipped through her papers. “This past Tuesday in preparation for this meeting. Now unless you have further questions, We can finish the paperwork and then conclude our business.”

“I’m rich?” Julie blurted out.

“Apparently,” Cordell said with a bit of a grin. 

Ms. Culloden said very little over the next several minutes as the paperwork was handled and the proper forms were filled out. Finally, after the last form was finished, Ms Culloden reached into her briefcase and pulled out a leather bound book, a safe deposit box key, and an origami swan made from some rather heavy weight paper. “These have been left for you.” She said as she began to stand. “Now if you excuse me, I have to iron out some trust issues with an unpredictable client.”

“Just one more question Ms. Culloden,” Julie blurted out. “I’ve never heard of Landau, Luckman, and Lake before. Just what is it they do?”

Ms. Culloden gave Julie a small smile. “They are experts at contract law. Some would say they even wrote the book on it.” And with that, she left.

Julie felt a chill run down her spine for some reason and turned her attention back to the items. Taking the book in her hands, she trace her finger along it’s title. “Liber Disputatio,” she murmured. “I wonder what it means.”

“Book of Change,” Alex offered. “If anything, it’ll give you a reason to learn Latin.”

 

“But why does a Chinese family have a Latin book?” Julie asked before picking up the safe deposit box key. “This is to a box in this bank. Why would they bother with the key if I was here already?”

“Probably because they didn’t have access to the box,” Alex explained. “We can go see about getting it opened and finding out what you have if you want.”

“It will have to be without me,” Cordell said sadly. “I have to check in with the office before heading home.”

Julie smiled and gave him a hug before he left. “Thanks for coming and I have one more thing to ask.” At Cordell’s concerned look she explained. “When I get my name changed, I was wondering if it would be okay to have it put as Julie Walker.”

Cordell smiled and hugged her again. “I think it would be a great idea.”

***

There were only a couple additional pieces of paperwork that needed to be signed before Julie was allowed access to the box and she was quite surprised by what was brought. The box was twelve inches wide by eight inches high by two feet deep. She and Alex looked at it uncertainly before glancing at each other. 

“So,” Julie said with some trepidation, “ready to see what else was left to me?”

Alex smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure it’s nothing too terrible.”

Julie relaxed a bit before opening the lid. Inside she found a black leather jacket that felt reinforced in certain vital areas, a pair of Bowie knives that had a mirror polish, a collapsible metal quarterstaff, a pair of reinforced black leather gloves that matched the jacket, a pair of combat boots, ten throwing knives polished to the same mirror polish and set in a bandolier, a Saint Hubertus medal on a silver chain, a blank journal, and a silver flask.

Alex blinked, went to speak, stopped, looked over the items again, then turned to Julie. “Alright, it is entirely possible to be wrong.”

Julie gave Alex a look before standing and trying on the jacket, strangely not surprised that it fit perfectly. Likewise with the gloves. Julie frowned in thought as she could put everything in its proper place in the jacket before taking the jacket off and folding it up. She then sat down and tried on the boots, finding them comfortable and disturbingly familiar. “We need to talk to Cordell about this. There is no way that this should be waiting for me like this unless...”

“Unless you weren’t at home when your parents were killed,” Alex finished. “Like you were somewhere being trained to use this and escaped.”

“Or let go,” Julie corrected. “I get the feeling all of this wouldn’t be here if I was a runaway. What if I’m some sleeper or something, like from the movies?”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Alex cautioned. “We’ll talk to Cordell and see if some of his friends on the reservation can help. Take it one step at a time.”

Julie sighed and nodded before picking up the Saint Hubert’s medal. Suddenly, she was assaulted with a too vivid memory. 

“It’s a Saint Hubert’s medal,” the brunette woman said softly. “I read he’s the patron saint of hunters. I thought it was fitting to protect you, considering your new hobby.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Julie said with a smile on her face, “but aren’t you Jewish Pryde?”

The brunette blushed. “But you’re Catholic right. I was just...You know, you’re right it’s -“

Julie stopped the other girl and kissed her on the cheek, deep down wanting to do so much more but unsure if it would be reciprocated. “Thank you. I love it.”

Julie staggered and caught herself. “Pryde...” She took a shuddering breath. “I was hunting something. Something dangerous.”

“What?” Alex was on her feet trying to help Julie. “What are you talking about?”

Julie shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “When I touched the medal, it triggered something. A memory I think. I saw another girl. She gave me a Saint Hubert’s medal. Apparently I was Catholic at one point.”

Alex frowned and carefully took the medal and looked it over before handing it back. “There doesn’t appear to be anything on it.”

Julie held her gloved hand up and chuckled. “Wouldn’t matter if there was. My hand was gloved and if it was in the glove I would have reacted much sooner. I wonder if the letter says anything about this.”

“Letter?”

Julie pulled the swan out of her pocket. “The beauty of Origami is that if it is done right, you don’t tear the paper.”

“And how do you know that it is a letter?”

Julie pointed at a small marking near the head. “It’s a kanji. It translates to ‘open’ in English.”

“I didn’t know you could read Japanese,” Alex said with a smile.

“Neither did I,” Julie answered with a snort before unfolding the swan. Inside, as Julie predicted was a letter written in Japanese. Julie stared at the letter for a second before muttering under her breath “This is so unsettling.”

Dear Little Sister,

I apologize for much of the subterfuge and I assure you that your father while not responsible for your release into this world has agreed it is for the best. We could not protect you any longer and those who wished you dead would not be dissuaded unless you no longer proved a ‘danger’ to their precious little charges. To ensure that you would not be a threat, I had to remove your memories. Rather, I had to bury them so deep that they appeared to have been wiped away. 

If you want your memories to return, they will in time. The key is that you have to want them to return. James and Blade have left you some emergency equipment in a safe deposit box near where you have been left and your father has assured me that the firm we hired to deliver this message is professional if a bit literal. 

James has asked me to remind you that all the weapons are very durable but will need to be sharpened from time to time. He also wanted me to remind you that they are also silver impregnated and that we don’t know if your current condition will react to them. Your father said he had taken care of it, but you still may want to be careful.

We have done all we can Little Sister, the next steps are up to you. Though it may not feel like it, you are not alone and there are those that will always be near to hear your call. Live your life. Do this for us. Let go of your anger and be happy. Never forget that we all love you.

Your Sister,

Elizabeth

Julie closed the letter and frowned. “I was involved in something big and taken out of it to save my life according to this letter.” She motioned to the equipment. “This is all supposed to be for my protection.”

Alex looked at the weapons in shock. “You mean you’ve been trained to use all of this?”

“Apparently. Also, it seems that I had another person that I called father at some point. All of this is an inheritance from my second ‘family’.” Julie viciously rubbed at her eyes. “Shit. Shit. It would have been better if I had just stayed on the streets. Now I’m endangering you, Cordell, Sydney, Jimmy... Why can’t things just be simple? Why does it all have to be such a mess?”

“Hey,” Alex gently scolded as she pulled Julie’s hands away from her eyes. “None of that. You haven’t brought anything that we didn’t already have by the truckloads. Jimmy, Cordell and Sydney are all Rangers and face danger every day, and I’ve made enough enemies in the court room to have had seven different attempts on my life. We always pull through. And I can say with complete honesty that I have never seen Sydney as happy as she has been the last week with you.”

Julie blinked. “Really?”

“Really,” Alex said with certainty. “Now, why don’t we go get something to eat then head back to the house and try to straighten this out with Cordell?”

Julie nodded. “Might want to let Sydney and Jimmy in on this too. Get some other perspectives.”

***

Julie and Alex were followed up to the house by Jimmy and Sydney in Jimmy’s truck. As they approached the house, Julie felt something was wrong. “Alex, stop the car.”

Alex stopped and glanced at Julie. “What’s wrong?”

“The lights aren’t on in the house,” Julie responded in a far too calm voice. She moved as if by second nature and pulled the jacket, gloves and boots into the front. “Have Jimmy call it in and then the three of you lock yourself into the truck.”

“What? Julie, if someone is in the house-“

“No Alex,” Julie cut her off. “What’s likely in there is way above Sydney and Jimmy’s abilities. If Cordell’s alive, I’ll bring him out. You three need to be safe.” She placed the gear on almost solemnly as she closed her eyes as if in prayer. “Holy Father, grant me the courage and grace to face my enemies without flinching, The honor to defend the innocent from the defilers, and the wisdom to know the difference between friend and foe. I petition for your glorious might to be put into my unworthy hand so that I may protect the waking world from the darkness that seeks to claim it. I ask this not in a quest for vengeance but in a serenity of purpose. In our lord and saviour’s holy name Jesus Christ, I implore you to use me as your instrument and if it is your will, fall only in order to stave off the coming night.” After a deep breath, she opened her eyes and whispered, “Amen.”

Gone was the easy going Julie. In her place was a predator heading off towards the house in search of prey. She could hear Alex and the others argue, but knew that there was too little time to deal with a war of words. If Cordell was alive, she only had a matter of moments. She didn’t know why, but there was something inside her that said that time was of the essence. 

She crept up to the porch and listened as she did her best to blend into the shadows. All of this felt hauntingly familiar, like she had done it in another life. Images of a manor house littered with bodies flitted through her mind along with names: Evan, Monet, Paige, Jono, Artie, Emma, Sean. She shook her head and placed those ghosts back behind the door. She slid next to the door before glancing back and having to bite back a curse. 

Jimmy and Sydney were working their way up behind her, firearms drawn. Both showed a discipline and training that they strove to hide from everyone in their daily lives. Training that was instilled in them by one Cordell Walker and had saved their lives time and again. Training that was ill prepared for the coming fight. They were going to get themselves killed.

Julie growled and decided to go for hard and fast. She shouldered her way quickly into the room and let three throwing knives fly toward the large moving form trying to hide in the dark room. A howl of rage and a series of cursing that would make a sailor blush brought a vicious smile to Julie lips. She knew this one. She owed him a beat down. There was also the fact that this one tended to be sent by himself. She felt herself have another memory flash. His name was once Marius Saint Croix, but that was before a simple genetic mutation had brought him to the attention of darker forces. He was welcomed into the now rather aptly named Hellfire club and quickly became their Black Knight and chief enforcer, his genetic quirk enhanced by demonic energy. The two of them had danced time and time again. Julie had come out on top time and time again. 

“Looks like the Hellfire club wanted to make sure I was really dead,” she quipped. “Too bad for you, Elizabeth doesn’t trust your superiors.”

Marius hissed as he pulled the knives from his now smoking skin. “You are not supposed to remember.”

“And I wouldn’t if you had just left me alone,” Julie growled back. “I would have just lived my life, but you fuckers had to get in one last lick.” She then pulled out the two Bowie knives and to a stance. “Now we’re going to have to dance again. This time I guarantee that one of us isn’t walking away”

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Marius pleaded. “We only want the book.”

“You forget yourself Marius,” Julie said in a low deadly whisper. “You killed your sister to get to me. I know your word isn’t worth shit.”

The being snarled and seemed to become even more inhuman as it threw itself at her. Julie stepped aside and slashed viciously at his side. The beast screamed as it turned and tried attacking her again, allowing Julie to get another blow on the other side just below the ribs. She saw Sydney out of the corner of her eye and shouted. “Get Walker and get out of here!”

Her moment of lost focus cost her as one of the creatures claws caught her on the arm. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the maws that opened hungrily on the creature’s hands. She instinctively jabbed one of the Bowies into the nearest hand and rolled back to a night stand. The beast howled in agony as Julie wrenched open the drawer and pulled out Walker’s sidearm, loaded the magazine and flipped the safety off. “You made a mistake walking into a Ranger’s house asshole,” She snarled as she took aim. “You’re still mostly human, motherfucker.” Then with a precision that would have made any marksman proud, she unloaded the entire clip into his head.

The beast stopped howling as it collapsed on the floor. Without skipping a beat, Julie pulled out the flask and began splashing the contents on the creature. “From the dust we come and to the dust we shall return,” she whispered as she continued anointing the corpse and watching it smoke and shrink. “Heavenly father, I present this fallen soul to your mercy and judgement. Let the wrongs he has done be set right and his victims be given mercy.” As she emptied the flask, she closed it and placed it back in her jacket before looking up at Sydney carrying a badly beaten Cordell. 

The two were able to help the injured Ranger out of the house to Jimmy’s truck just as police and an ambulance arrived. After an hour of questions and the now human body of Marius Saint Croix being carted off, Jimmy was able to return the weapons as it was determined that there was no blood on any of the weapons. Julie promised the Rangers an explanation after they had checked on Walker. They arrived just in time to be informed that Walker had succumbed to his injuries. Julie spent the rest of the night holding Alex and trying not to fall apart herself.

***

Three days had passed since the fight at the Walkers house and there would be another before the funeral. Julie had spent the days in what she called vigil over the corpse, switching off with Jimmy and Sydney after convincing them that yes it was very important. She had talked to the elders and explained what had happened. They had quickly agreed to the delay and even went so far as to welcome Julie to consecrate the ground if she so wished. 

Today found Julie at a table with Jimmy, Sydney and a still very red-eyed Alex. The table was one in the back of CD’s that had been set aside specifically for private conversations. No other table was close to it and the patrons who used that table were expected to get their own drinks and food as they were part of the former owner’s extended family. 

Julie played with her iced tea and tried not to meet the eyes of anyone else at the table. “How much do you want?”

“All of it,” Jimmy snapped. “Everything you’ve been hiding.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t hiding anything Jimmy. I really didn’t remember it. That’s the point of a post-hypnotic suggestion. They blocked my memories so I would have a chance at a normal life.”

“Who are they?” Alex asked.

“They’re... We’re... Called Nightstalkers. We hunt that which hunts humanity. Vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies. We’re the go to people for anything supernatural. My particular group were called the Hellhounds and had a specific target in a group known as the Hellfire Club. On the surface, they’re a social club for society’s elite. Dig a little deeper and you find out that the entire inner circle is demonically empowered sociopaths who have sold their souls and lead an organization that is one part crime family and three parts satanic cult.

“My history with them started when one of their people killed several members of my adopted family.” Jubilee took a sip of her tea and continued to stare at the table. “Actually, it goes back a bit further though I don’t remember it. The Hellfire Club put out the hit on my mom and dad. I apparently made it to a Catholic church and was adopted out to the Howletts. My new father, James, was unable to sire children and often took in those he thought were special. I found out later that we were taken in because we had been marked by the Hellfire Club. 

“James taught us how to defend ourselves no matter what the situation. We came to look upon each other as family and were brought up with the faiths of our youth so that we could use it as an armor to protect us from what our enemies may send after us. Then one day, the Hellfire club sent their knights to our doorstep. I and two of my sisters were out shopping for groceries with James. When we returned...” Julie took a breath and steadied herself. Her tone took on a slightly deader tone when she continued. “When we returned, the entire house had been torn apart and the bodies of my family were scattered about where they had been killed.”

Jimmy let out a soft curse before trying to comfort his friend. “Julie, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize-“

“That wasn’t the worst of it,” she continued. “No, the worst was when they pulled themselves out of the grave two days later and attacked our house. I had to kill the people that I thought of as my own family or die at their hands. Oh, there is all this research and evidence that they aren’t the people that you buried when they come out of the grave, but that doesn’t do a lot of good for the psyche of a thirteen year old girl that has to run her best friend through with a fireplace poker to keep him off of her and then chop off his head with a butcher knife.”

“Oh dear god,” Alex whispered. “The vigil.”

Julie nodded. “I didn’t want to put any of you through that if there was the slightest chance. Thankfully, they just were after information not...converts.” She took another shaky breath and tried to fight back the tears threatening to come out. “James... Father took the few survivors to a friend of his, a man named Abraham Whistler. He and his adopted son Blade taught us how to hunt the things that attacked us. We were inducted into the Nightstalkers which it turned out that James Howlett was a semi-retired member. We ended up taking the fight to our enemies and making some new ones along the way. 

“When I found out all that they had been doing against me, I kinda lost it and was a lot more vicious than the others. We all earned nicknames that we used as code names. Blade was Daywalker due to being born from a vampire/human union. My father was called Wolverine, a call sign he picked up in the military. My Brother James, an apache that had lost his family over some land deal, was called Warpath. Kate, our infiltration specialist was called Shadowcat. Elizabeth, our information broker and resident occult specialist, was called Sage.”

“And you?” asked Sydney.

Julie swallowed another glass of tea, secretly wishing she could get something harder. “I was called Firewalker because I’d usually come out of a building after setting it on fire. You see, there are very few things that will be truly effective against demons. Objects of faith are good as long as your faith is strong. Silver always makes them feel the burn. Holy water at a sanctified church really smarts. But nothing works quite like burning the body. Remove their tether to the mortal realm and you don’t have to worry about them coming back.”

 

“That sounds rather drastic,” Jimmy commented with a grin.

Julie shrugged and gave him a half-hearted smile. “The church thought so too and ex-communicated me.”

“Is that why they tried to retire you?” Alex asked. 

Julie shook her head. “No, Just because you get kicked out of the church doesn’t mean you lose faith. I really can’t remember what happened, but it must have been enough to scare everyone. I was one of the front liners, even though I wasn’t as strong as Father, James or Blade. The warning that Elizabeth gave me leads me to believe I may have been marked or something, but I’m not sure enough to guarantee an answer.”

“Marked?” Sydney asked.

“Ever read Dracula?” Julie asked out of curiosity. When Alex nodded her head, Julie continued. “Stoker fictionalized an actual account. What Dracula was doing to Mina Harker is what I’m talking about. Basically its forcing a person to become your mate. Something most humans take a great dislike to but demons see nothing wrong with. The first step in the process is marking the target of your desires which makes them sensitive to all the things that should protect them. They stop carrying around silver. Holy items make them uneasy. That sort of thing. The next step is to kill or corrupt those around her and break her spirit. Finally, when the person is broken beyond repair, the demon sweeps in and claims her as violently as possible then turns her into a demon.”

“Two questions,” Sydney began. “First, what do you mean by claims her and second why are you saying her?”

Julie winced and let out a sigh. “By claim I mean rape in the most vicious and mentally scarring manner and I keep saying her because demons never use this form of attack against men. They actually see men as the weaker sex and a woman’s ability to withstand pain like childbirth to be something to be cultivated. The first thing that you have to understand about demons is that they have no interest in souls beyond a form of commerce and that is almost completely the purview of beings that can not enter this plane of existence.”

“Then what do demons want?” Alex asked.

“To corrupt, destroy and tear down everything that humanity creates and holds dear. There are some that have given up their wicked ways and demons aren’t the only non-human sentient life on the planet, but of all the threats to day to day life, demons are the worst. I’m just sorry that I got you all wrapped up in this mess.”

Alex reached across the table and took her hand. “Julie, you didn’t drag us into anything. You didn’t even know this when we met you. Cordell died protecting his family, and yes I fully believe that he counted you among his family. You asked him to use the family name Walker. Well, here is where you find out the truth of our family. We never abandon our own. No matter what.”

Jimmy nodded in agreement. “We’re in this with you: not only as family, but as Rangers. Walker was my partner and if he thought you were worth fighting for, that’s good enough for me. I don’t care if it’s drug lords, demons, or werewolves. You need help, you got it. Walker always treated me like his little brother, so I guess that makes me your uncle.”

Sydney snorted and placed her hand over Alex’s. “I’m not about to bail on my girlfriend. Especially since I just found out that she can kick my ass.”

Julie fought tearing up and gave them a small smile. “Well damn. I guess I can’t try to push you out of this, can I?”

“No.”

“Not a chance.”

“Cowboy would never let me live it down.”

Julie wiped her eyes with her free hand. “Well then, for now we mourn. Then I prepare for war.”

Alex shook her head and squeezed Julie’s hand. “No, we prepare for war.”

Julie blinked in surprise at the intensity in Alex’s eyes. “Right,” she choked out in surprise. “We.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Cordell Walker is not Chuck Norris. He is at best a character played by Chuck Norris. Therefore, Cordell Walker does not have the immortality imparted upon Chuck Norris by the gods of the internet.


End file.
